Screw-driver.



Patented luly I, |902.

J. n. cAMPBELL'a. J. K. Gunn.

SCREW DRIVER.

(Application filed May 2, 1901.)

(No Model.)

i fr

1H; Nonms PETERS co., PHoTaLmm, wAsrmGwN, Dxc

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. CAMPBELL AND J UDSON K. GUNN, OF NEWTON, NEV JERSEY.

SCREW-DRIVER.

SPECIFICATION formnggpart of Letters Patent NO. 703,638, dated July 1, 1902. Application filed May 2, 1901. Serial No. 58,486. (No model.)

T @ZZ 107mm/ may @m1/067%: or levers 10 and 11, respectively, which are Be it known that we, JOHN D. CAMPBELL pivotedtogether intermediate of their ends, and JUDSONV K. GUNN, both citizens of the as at 12, at the point8 of slidable connection of- 55 United States, residing at Newton, in the the screw-clamping member 4 with the shaft 5 county 0f Sussex and Statev of New Jersey, 0r shank 2. The forward ends of the arms 10 have invented certain new and useful Imand 11 are bent inwardly at right angles, as at provements in Screw-Drivers, of which the 13, to form the jaws 5 and 6. Each of the jaws following is a specification.` is provided with a V-shaped cut-away por- 6o This invention relates to screw-drivers; and tion 13, which V-shaped cut-away portion is xo it has for its object to provide an improved formed to closely engage with the shank of the screw-driver which will be superior in point screwl in the operation of the screw-driven'as of convenience, in that it will enable the drivabove described. One edge 13b of each of t-he ing of screws in corners and other places difcut-away portions 13a is operatively sharp- 65 lcult of access, and in which the guiding of ened--or beveled to serve as a cutting edge in I5 the screw and manipulation of the s crew- .the operation of setting the screw, and these driver are attended by a lack of facility. cutting edges serve to countersink the work A further object of theinvention is to proto receive the head of the screw. The diagovide an improved device of this class which nali y opposite edges of the cut-away portions 7o shallbe relatively simple in construction and 13a are sharpened for this purpose. The porzo generally durable and efticient in use. tions 14 of the arms 10 and 11, between the In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective Y jaws 5 and 6 and the point 12 of pivotal conview of our improved screw-driver in use. nectionof the'arms 10 and 11, extend nor- Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional view mally in parallel arrangement at either side 75 of the improved screw-driver with the parts .of the shaftor shank 2,jthe jaws 5 and 6 be- 2 5 in normal or inoperative position. Fig. 3 is ing normally maintained in engagement with detail transverse sectional view taken upon .the forward end of the shaft or shank 2 by the line :c on, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail front tensional means 15, which operate with reend view ofthe improved screw-driver. Fig. spect-to the rearward end portions 16 of the 8o 5 is a detail longitudinal sectional View of the arms'lO and 11, which rearward end portions 3o improved screw-driver, taken upon the line arelbowed or flared outwardly to form han- 2/ y, Fig. 2. dles 17 which extend in proximity to the Corresponding parts in all the figures are handle 3 of the shaft or shank 2. vThe tendenoted by the same reference characters. sional means operate with respect to the 8 5 Referring to the drawings, 1 designates our handles 17 and consist in the preferred form improved screw-driver, which comprises a of construction of a band-spring 18, which shaft or shank 2, the handle portion 3 of the is carried centrally, as at 19, upon the rearshaft or shank 2, and a screw-clamping memward end portions of the shaft or shank 2, ber 4, which operates to hold the screw to the and 'which bears at its ends, as at 20, upon 9o shaft or shank 2 in the operations of setting theA inner sides of the handles 17 of the arms 4o and unsetting the screw. The screw-clamp 10 and 11.`

ing member 4 embodies jaws 5 an'dv, which l-n'forming the slidable -connection of the operate with respect to the pointed end 7 of arms 1 0`and 11 with the shank or shaft 2 a the shaft or shank 2, and said screwfclamp- 'pin 2lis passed through spacedears22, which 95 ing member 4 is slidably connected with the are formed upon each of the arms 10 and 11 shaft or shank 2, as at 8, so as to permit proand atboth sides of the shaft orshank 2, and

jection of the jaws 5 and6 into operative posaid pin 2l is also passed through an elonsition or retraction of the same into iuopera'- gated slot 23, which is formed longitudinally tive position. Means9 are provided for norof a predetermined portion of the shaft or roo mally maintaining the jaws 5 and 6 in reshank 2. The pin 21 thus constitutes the 5o tracted or inoperative position. means of pivotal connection at 12 of the arms In the preferred form of construction the 10 and 11. The screw-clamping member 4is screw-clampingmember4consists of twoarms limited in its movements longitudinally of the shaft or shank 2 by engagement of the pin 21 with the opposite end walls of the elongated slot 23. The means 9 for normally maintaining the screw-clamping member 4 in retracted position may consist of a coiled spring 24, which is coiled around the shaft or shank 2 between the pin 21 and a pin 25, which is passed through the shaft or shank 2 forwardly of the forward end of the elongated slot 23. In arranging the pin 25 in connection with the shaft or shank 2 it is so arranged as to accommodate the spring 24 between the pins 2 1 and 25 when said springis in fully-compressed condition. The relative tension of springs 18 and 24 is such that the screw-clamping member 4 will be retracted upon the shaft 2 automatically when the jaws 5 and 6 are withdrawn from the head of a screw.

The operation and advantages of our improved screw-driver will be readily understood.

In setting the screw the handles 17 are forced inwardly, and the screw clamping member 4 is then forced forwardly into the position in which the jaws 5 and 6 project beyond the end 7 of the shaft or shank 2. The jaws 5 and (i are then allowed to move toward each other under the inuence of the tensonal means 15 and are brought into engagement with the shank of the screw, beneath the head of the same. The tensional means 9 are then permitted to retract the screw-clamping member, which is so guided that the slotted head of the screw is seated in rm operative position upon the pointed end of the shank 2. The screw-clamping member 4 maintains the screw in firm operative connection withthe pointed end of the shaft or shank 2, and the necessity of manually holding and guiding the same is obviated, permitting the operator to devote his entire attention and energy to the customary manipulation of the shaft or shank 2 by means of the handle 3. When the screw has been driven nearly home, the handles 17 are forced inwardly to withdraw the jaws 5 and 6 from the head of the screw, and the tensional means 9' then forces the screw-clamping member 4 into fully-retracted position, and the jaws 5 and 6 are brought into normal position in contact with the shaft or shank 2 by the tensional means 15. The screw may then be entirely driven home in the customary manner. In unsetting or withdrawing the screw the operation is reversed, the screw being started with the screw-clamping member 4 in retracted position. When the head of the screw has been withdrawn sufficiently to permit the insertion of the jaws 5 and G beneath the same, the screw-clamping member 4 is projected against the tensional means 9, and the jaws 5 and 6 are first separated against the tension'of the tensional means 15 and are then passed beneath the head of the screw, at opposite sides of the shaft or shank of the same. The operation of unsetting the screw is then completed in of shank.

the ordinary manner, and the screw is withdrawn upon the pointed end 7 of the shaft or shank 2, in which position it is maintained by the jaws 5 and 6.

The advantages in operation of our improved screw-driver when setting and unsetting screws in corners and closely-confined interiors will be manifest. The necessity of manually holding and guiding the screw is obviated, and the screw is held firmly by the screw-clamping member in position to be operated upon by the shank or shaft 2. The operator has the free use of both hands in driving or withdrawing the screw, and the operative end 7 of the shaft or shank is maintained at all times in operative connection with the head of the same.

It is manifest that our improvements may be applied to any type of screw-driver whether driven directly by handle, as illustrated, or by a bit-stock or otherwise, the screw-clamping member being adaptable to any form or type Although it has been stated that the jaws 5 and G are positively withdrawn from the screw previous to the inal setting of the latter, it results that said jaws will be automatically withdrawn froml the screw when the work into which the screwis being driven comes into contact with the outer end of said jaws, as said jaws will ride over the beveled face of the head of the screw under the pressure of the work upon the ends of the jaws, supplemented by the action of the tensional means 9.

'We do not desire to be understood as limiting ourselves to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement, in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use, without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention and improvements. We therefore reserve the right to all such variation and modication as properly falls within the scope of our invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An improved screw-driver, comprising a shank provided with an elongated longitudinal slot and with a stop positioned below the slot, clamping-levers provided at one end with jaws adapted to engage the head of the screw and pivoted intermediate their ends through the slot, and a spring coiled around the shank and bearing at one end against the pivot and at the other end against the stop, the organization being such that the spring normally holds the jaws in a retracted position on the shank.

2. An improved screw-driver, comprising a shank provided with an elongated longitudinal slot and with a stop positioned below the slot, clamping-levers provided at one end with jaws adapted to engage the head of the IIO screw and pivotedintermediate their ends through the slot, a spring coiled aroundl the shank and bearing at oneend against the pivotand at the other end against the stop the organization being such that the spring normally holds the jaws in a retracted position on the shank, and a spring slidably mounted on the shank above the slot and normally pressing the jaws toward each other.

3. 'An improved screw-driver, comprising a shank provided with an elongated longitudinal slot and with' a stop positioned below the slot, clamping-levers provided at vtheir outer ends with opposing jaws and at their inner ends with handle portions and pivoted intermediate their ends through the slot, and a spring coiled around the shank and bearing at one end against the pivot and at the other end against the stop the organization being such that the spring normally holds the jaws in a retracted position on the shank, and a collar provided with two spring-arms normally forcing the handle portions apart and slidably mounted on the shank above the slot.

4. An improved screwdriver, comprising ing'pivoted levers carried by the shank and provided at one end with jaws for engaging the head of the screw and at the other vend with handle portions, a pin carried by one of' JOHN D. CAMPBELL. JUDsoN K. GUNN.

Witnesses:

J. R. LITTELL, GEO. VAIL HUPPERTZ.

a shank member, a clamping member embody- 

